Page 242 of Steeling Her
Carter
I have ordered enough food for my entire neighborhood. It’s all laid out on the table and ready for me to pick at throughout the game. Sunday night football, and the Chargers are playing tonight. I couldn’t afford the ticket to go and watch. I didn’t want my brother to pay for it, either, so I finally got him to stop badgering about paying for me.
It took a while because I know how persistent Chris can be. He knows I love to watch a live game in the midst of the crowd. The atmosphere is intoxicating. There is nothing quite like it, if you ask me.
But the living room will do for now until their next home game.
I have nachos, chicken quesadillas, potato salad, and pasta. All of my favourites that I spent the entire morning preparing, except for the salads; I did them yesterday. I have one of my brother’s playing a game in Arizona while the other is in New Jersey with my dad as the head coach, both at separate times. There will be a crossover, so I have to flick back and forth to see the score.
This is the battle me and my mom often face when we have three family members on two different teams playing different games and different times.
What a nightmare.
I sit on the sofa and wait for the team line up to be shown on the screen. I know it’s nearly time. I watch each of the players stand in their positions as each of their names are announced. I see Chris and smile; I see TJ and smile; then I see Nick and I still smile.
In fact, I pause the TV so it stays on his face. I push myself up from the sofa and walk over to the screen so that those beautiful hunter-green eyes stare at me like he used to. I sigh at how pathetic I actually am right now. I unpause the program and allow the TV to continue on.
I sit back on my heels and stare at the wide screen TV that is showing the opponents for tonight. I prepare myself for the game and go back to the sofa.
For the next few hours, I scream and shout at the people I know are dominating the game. The Chargers are in full control for the first quarter of the game and are going at full steam. Chris is on fire; he’s finally gotten his groove back after the last few games he’s had. Because of this, he’s unstoppable right now.
It always makes me smile to see him play like this, to show the world how truly talented he is. My brother is a credit to this game and his family. I’m always so proud of him that he gets to do what he loves everyday, both of my brothers. They have raised that standard of football without intending to, and it has paid off for them.
The whole country gets to see their talent.
The one person I find myself looking for throughout happens to be the star of this game. I’ve never seen him play so amazing. It’s truly beautiful and a pleasure to watch him. The way he moves on the field is completely different to any other player I have seen. He has his own signature, his own way, his own play.
The fluidity of the way he releases the ball; the precision in how he calls the shots and orders the play; the memory he has to be able to remember so many different plays and to know which ones would work against the opponent; the ability to read his opponents, to read the field, and to read their game—their styles. It is amazing to watch how methodical he is, how he chooses what is best and how confident he is in his play and decisions.
There is no room for doubt in his eyes, and you can see that when he pulls the guys into position and orders them to follow the same beat.
It’s a different kind of art form.
***
Nick
“Alright, guys!” Our coach gets our attention in the locker rooms by yelling at us. “Great game, you guys did good, but we still have a long way to go. We need to keep this momentum going. We need to get to the Super Bowl. That is the goal you guys. I know if you continue to play like that, you will all get there. Alright?”
“Yes, sir!” we all answer proudly. We are on track but we need to keep the focus going.
“Alright, hit the showers. You all stink,” he jokes and leaves us to it. I grab my things for the shower and walk in to clean myself off from the sweat I pumped out throughout the game. Arizona is hot as hell, and I always forget that. We were sweating buckets throughout the game because of this. The fact that we ended up winning makes the trip so much sweeter.
“You coming out with us, Jackson?” Perez, a fellow teammate, asks me just as I strip off.
“Nah, not my scene—”
“Not your scene? Man, we all know that’s a load of bullshit. You have to come out.” He chuckles and so do some of the guys.
“Lay off, Perez. If he doesn’t want to go out, then he doesn’t want to go out,” Jason interjects. To be honest, I don’t want to go out because I donotwant to be seen around girls. I know that, that is all they want. Most of the guys on the team are single and only a handful are married and have girlfriends. The others just go out to get a hook up before they go back to LA.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to win back the woman that I love. I can’t take a step backwards and lose her trust.
“Pfft, pussy.” He laughs it off. “You got a chick back at the hotel or something?” He chuckles but Chris darts his eyes at me and Perez caught on. “Woah, what was that look you gave him?-”
“Do you?” Chris asks me with an underlying annoyance wrapped into it.
“No, I don’t have a chick back at the hotel,” I deny confidently because it’s true. The thought never even crossed my mind, nor did I even consider it.
